Plain 100 is an

ultramarathon An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of . The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the ...

held annually near

Plain, Washington Plain is a small unincorporated community in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is located east of Coles Corner, Washington, near U.S. Route 2 and SR 207. Plain was serviced by the former SR 209, now called the Chumstick Highway, w ...

. Founded in 1997, it features roughly and of elevation gain. There is also a distance. Plain 100 is considered one of the most difficult endurance races in the world, primarily due to the fact that runners are completely self-supported while on course and there are no course markings.

Race course and description

Plain 100 is composed of two loops of trails within the

Wenatchee National Forest Wenatchee ( ) is the county seat and most populous city of Chelan County, Washington, United States. The population within the city limits in 2010 was 31,925, and has increased to 35,508 as of 2020. Located in the north-central part of the stat ...

, with a resupply allowed at the halfway point while passing through the start/finish location. While on the loops, participants are completely self-supported, meaning that there are no course markings, aid stations, or other forms of support such as pacers. Even experienced, previous finishers have gotten lost on course due to confusion and fatigue. Fellow runners may aid one another, though carrying food, water, or gear for others (muling) is not allowed. There are safety checkpoints staffed by SAR teams.

History

Plain 100 was founded by Tom Ripley and Chris Ralph in 1997 in the vein of other endurance events like the

Yukon Arctic Ultra The Yukon Arctic Ultra is a series of non-stop multiday races that take place concurrently beginning in Whitehorse, Yukon at the beginning of February each year. The marathon, 100/300/430 mile races follow the course of the Yukon Quest. The longe ...

and

Marathon Des Sables ''Marathon des Sables'', or MdS, (French language, French for Marathon of the Sands) "Facing Africa NOMA : The Marathon des Sables", FacingAfrica.org, 2010, webpage: -->pages/mds/default.asp FA8. is a seven-day, about ultramarathon, whi ...

. The first year none of the six runners finished, and in many other early years there were no finishers. In several other years the race has been cancelled due to local

wildfires A wildfire, forest fire, or a bushfire is an unplanned and uncontrolled fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire may be more specifically identified as a ...

. By 2015, Tim Stroh and Tim Dehnhoff became race directors, with Stroh having been one of the first finishers in 1998.

References

External links

* {{Official website, url=https://www.plain100.com/
"20 Years of Pain in Plain"
editorial by the race director on the 20th anniversary of the race Ultramarathons in the United States Sports competitions in Washington (state) 1997 establishments in Washington (state) Recurring sporting events established in 1997 September in sports Chelan County, Washington